Some of the most popular programming languages of 2018

We’re halfway through the year and we’re taking a look at the trends we’re noticing in software development. While new programming languages are popping up all over the place, there are a few tried and true methods that are responsible for the majority of applications being currently developed.

With businesses increasingly migrating to the cloud for their applications and API services becoming more in-demand, software developers are using programming languages that cater to dynamic and sophisticated solutions.

Whether it’s web application development, mobile application development, or a combination of both, these are languages that are getting the jobs done.

Java is still one of the most popular and widely used programming languages. This is especially true in mobile development, as all current Android applications are Java apps. Given the fact that most applications nowadays require a high level of portability for web, mobile, and desktop, it’s no secret that Java is a top choice.

Another reason Java is still so popular is because there are just so many highly-skilled Java developers. This makes it easier for startups and other types of companies to hire Java developers to build their solutions.

When it comes to dynamic web development, JavaScript is still the number one choice among programmers. In fact, JavaScript is used in almost 95% of all websites.

JavaScript game development has seen an increase thanks to React becoming an open-source JS library and the popularity of React VR for virtual and augmented reality applications.

Python development is popular among programmers who work with analytical solutions and data manipulation projects. It is also a great scripting language for websites and applications that work with large databases. Developers love the fact that both the coding and the QA processes are fast and easy in Python.

The Python programming language is also a favorite thanks to a wealth of ready-to-use libraries, including Matplotlib, Numpy, Pandas and Scipy.

Swift development was created by Apple and released in 2014. It is used primarily by developers for iOS app development and is now even more popular than Apple’s Objective-C programming language.

With Swift, developers can create apps for Apple’s iPhone and watches, as well as web applications. According to analyst firm RedMonk, Swift is the fastest growing language in popularity since it started rankings in 2011.

R programming language is used primarily for educational and research applications involving analytics and forecasting. With R, developers are able to create complex solutions with minimal amounts of coding.

Building applications for machine learning with R is becoming more and more common among developers, as the language is well-suited for these types of analytical solutions.

Elixir is a rather new language that is used primarily for web development. It first debuted back in 2011 and has been increasing in popularity ever since.

Elixir programming is especially suited for developing scalable applications that get a lot of traffic and require heavy concurrency. Elixir is based on the early-80s Erlang programming language and also features functionality similar to Ruby. In fact, many developers use it as an alternative to Ruby.

“A programmer’s best friend.” That’s the tagline for the Ruby programming language. To this day, it is still a top choice for most developers.

One of the reasons that Ruby is so popular in 2018 is because it is widely used by most startups, thanks to the Ruby on Rails framework that makes it quick and extremely cost-effective. In fact, it’s the framework behind such popular sites as Airbnb, Shopify and Groupon.

PHP is a server-side scripting language and is extremely flexible, which makes it the best choice for content management systems.

PHP language is used primarily for web development and for interacting with databases, such as MySQL. PHP owes its massive popularity to Facebook and WordPress, given the fact that both platforms rely heavily on the language. Currently, 80% of the top 10 million websites are using PHP.

Released in 2010, Rust is another relatively new programming language. It is an open-source language and is quite similar to C++. Recent Rust projects include Servo and Redox . Companies such as Dropbox, Postmates and Coursera are all using Rust in their development projects.

Rust is so popular that it won the title of “Most Loved Programming Language” in Stack Overflow’s Developer Survey three years in a row (2016-2018).

While these nine programming languages are experiencing high levels of popularity among startups in 2018, there will always be new up-and-comers waiting to replace them in the near future. And here at iTechArt, we continue to stay up-to-date on all the latest technology trends and new programming languages. If you’re a startup looking for the best tech team to guide you, we can help!

Of course, it’s the developers themselves that determine “what’s hot” when it comes to programming languages. Programming is certainly an art. When a language comes along that makes it easier for developers to create their art, that’s when you know you have a winner.

If you’re looking for the perfect programming language for your business software or need mobile app development, let us know! We have hundreds of developers that are highly skilled in all of these languages and more.